Rank

Amherst-Pelham

7 schools · 1 high school · 6 elementary schools · Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury · Regional District

The Amherst-Pelham Regional School District encompasses four towns in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, and Shutesbury. Amherst, home to the University of Massachusetts and several colleges, anchors the district and brings a distinctly academic character to the region, which is known for its progressive values and cultural institutions. The district ranks #98 statewide and includes Amherst Regional High School, which ranks #46 among Massachusetts high schools with a 92.6% graduation rate. While the four towns vary in assessed home values and per capita income—with Leverett notably higher on income metrics—the district reflects the diverse character of the Pioneer Valley, blending college-town amenities with rural and residential communities.

Avg MCAS ELA

54.7%

#121 of 326

Avg MCAS Math

57.3%

#86 of 326

Avg SAT

1,269

#21 of 290

Attendance

92.2%

#176 of 328

Graduation Rate

92.6%

#180 of 288

AP Pass Rate

89.8%

#35 of 278

Per-Pupil Spending

$28,536

#34 of 325

Avg Teacher Salary

$92,296

#151 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

Grade	ELA M+E%	Math M+E%	Sci M+E%	Avg Score	Students
Grade 3	41%	45%	—	493	111
Grade 4	56%	48%	—	501	129
Grade 5	52%	49%	55%	499	136
Grade 6	60%	52%	—	505	149
Grade 7	47%	47%	—	498	156
Grade 8	60%	52%	56%	503	161
Grade 10	70%	60%	66%	510	167
HS Science	—	—	68%	509	114

Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 54.9%

Asian: 10.3%

Hispanic: 18.9%

Black: 9.1%

Multi-Race: 6.4%

Am. Indian: 0.3%

Female: 45.1%Male: 53.2%Non-binary: 1.8%

High Schools in Amherst-Pelham

Rank

Grade

School

SAT

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Grad

A-

Amherst Regional High

Amherst Regional High

Elementary Schools in Amherst-Pelham

Rank

Grade

School

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Attend.

Class Size

Shutesbury Elementary

Shutesbury Elementary

Crocker Farm Elementary

Crocker Farm Elementary

Fort River Elementary

Fort River Elementary

District Operations

Attendance

#176 of 328

Attendance Rate92.2%

Avg Days Absent14

Chronically Absent (10%+)22.3%

Chronically Absent (20%+)7.7%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#34 of 325

In-District Per Pupil$28,232

Total Per Pupil$28,536

Total FTE Students1,356

Teacher Salaries

#151 of 325

Average Salary$92,296

Teacher FTE Count108

Salary vs. Town Income2.5x(above town avg)

Teacher salary is 2.5x the town's per capita income ($36,915). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#23 of 327

Avg Class Size13

English Learners6.8%

Students w/ Disabilities26.6%

Total Students1,201

Staffing & Retention

#236 of 327

Teacher Retention83.1%

Principal Retention100%

Total Teachers124

Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Amherst

Avg Assessed Value

$588,826

#165 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$9,957

Income Per Capita

$21,921

#191 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#68

of 341 towns

Avg Assessed Value is the mean assessed value of single-family homes only (MA property class 101 — excludes condos, multi-family, and apartments). MA law requires assessment at 100% of fair market value. Income Per Capita is total town income divided by population, derived from MA state income tax returns (not Census surveys). It includes wages, investment income, and capital gains, so wealthy towns can have very high figures. The MA median is about $48K. Tax bill rank orders towns by average single-family tax bill, highest to lowest.

Tax & Bond Details

Residential Tax Rate1.69%

Tax as % of Income45.42%(high burden)

Bond RatingAA+(excellent)

Tax rate is the effective residential rate (tax bill ÷ assessed value). Tax as % of income measures how much of residents’ income goes to property taxes. The MA median is about 14%; below 10% is low (wealthier towns with high incomes relative to home values), above 16% is above average. Bond rating reflects the town’s creditworthiness for borrowing. AAA is the highest possible rating (strong fiscal management), meaning the town can borrow at the lowest interest rates. AA+ is excellent, AA is very good.

New Growth

$21.8M+0.58% levy growth(low)

Residential$7.7M

Commercial/Industrial$14.1M

Residential Share35.13%(diverse)

New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.1% (2.5% base + 0.58% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (35.13%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.

Municipal Free Cash

$10.2M10.1% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $101.0M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 938(42.4%)

Regional: 916(41.4%)

Vocational: 15(0.7%)

Charter: 144(6.5%)

Private: 63(2.8%)

Home School: 31(1.4%)

Total: 2,212

Leverett

Avg Assessed Value

$500,104

#165 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$7,852

Income Per Capita

$46,496

#191 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#126

of 341 towns

Tax & Bond Details

Residential Tax Rate1.57%

Tax as % of Income16.89%(above avg)

Bond RatingAA(very good)

New Growth

$1.3M+0.28% levy growth(low)

Residential$1.0M

Commercial/Industrial$265K

Residential Share79.58%(typical)

New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 2.8% (2.5% base + 0.28% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (79.58%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.

Municipal Free Cash

$1.3M15.7% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $8.1M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 96(42.7%)

Regional: 78(34.7%)

Vocational: 4(1.8%)

Charter: 8(3.6%)

Private: 23(10.2%)

Home School: 15(6.7%)

Total: 225

Pelham

Avg Assessed Value

$490,319

#165 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$9,213

Income Per Capita

$45,933

#191 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#87

of 341 towns

Tax & Bond Details

Residential Tax Rate1.88%

Tax as % of Income20.06%(high burden)

Bond RatingAA+(excellent)

New Growth

$2.6M+0.91% levy growth(typical)

Residential$2.2M

Commercial/Industrial$402K

Residential Share84.77%(mostly homes)

New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.4% (2.5% base + 0.91% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (84.77%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 56(24.0%)

Regional: 70(30.0%)

Vocational: 4(1.7%)

Charter: 3(1.3%)

Private: 50(21.5%)

Total: 233

Shutesbury

Avg Assessed Value

$417,225

#165 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$6,763

Income Per Capita

$33,308

#191 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#175

of 341 towns

Tax & Bond Details

Residential Tax Rate1.62%

Tax as % of Income20.3%(high burden)

New Growth

$3.0M+0.73% levy growth(low)

Residential$1.7M

Commercial/Industrial$1.3M

Residential Share56.74%(diverse)

New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.2% (2.5% base + 0.73% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (56.74%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.

Municipal Free Cash

$1.0M13.4% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $7.8M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 87(42.6%)

Regional: 81(39.7%)

Vocational: 4(2.0%)

Charter: 4(2.0%)

Private: 7(3.4%)

Home School: 8(3.9%)

Total: 204